Weather update: Mercury drops further as chilly winds hit Karachi

KARACHI: Weather gets chilly as strong, cold winds move towards the port city on Monday.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) told Geo News that the speed of winds moving from the east towards Karachi is 10 kilometres per hour.

The minimum temperature in the metropolis is expected to be 13 to 15°C, while the maximum is likely to remain between 28 to 30°C.

According to the PMD, there is 50% humidity in Karachi's air, while there is a chance of fog over the plains in the morning.

The weather, as per the Met Office, is likely to remain dry during the next 24 hours, but it will get cooler at night in the city, while Sindh will also experience a similar weather pattern.

Currently, the city's air carries hazardous pollutants with the Air Quality Index (AQI) levels at 188 and is marked "unhealthy by IQAir, a Swiss company that determines the quality of air around the world using technology."

The city stands at the fifth spot on the World AQI Ranking, while Lahore leads with the top spot.

"PM2.5 concentration in Karachi is currently 28.1 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value," IQAir mentioned.

PM2.5 concentration is referred to as particle pollution from fine particulates which makes the air quality hazardous in the atmosphere.

In such an atmosphere, people are advised to avoid spending time outdoors and close their windows to avoid letting outdoor air enter their homes and other spaces. They must, in such instances, wear a mask when outdoors and run an air purifier at home.

A day earlier, Karachi was covered in smog as its air quality worsened with polluted particles in the atmosphere.

According to Owais Haider, a weather and climate expert, the port city's air quality was "severely affected" following pollution in the air.

The city's air was entrapped with hazardous levels of pollution, as recorded by the AQI and was marked "unhealthy for sensitive groups".

Haider said the city's air quality was impacted due to light wind from the northeast, which has brought polluted particles into the air.

The weather was foggy due to high humidity and light air, he added.

"Fog combines with particulate matter to form smog," the weather analyst said.